


The Serious Moonlight

by juhaku



Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon Universe, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, mostly fluff tbh i can’t stop myself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-19 05:54:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20326192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juhaku/pseuds/juhaku
Summary: A little prose aubade about Hashirama and Madara.aubade - a poem in which the coming of dawn is either celebrated or denounced as a nuisance





	The Serious Moonlight

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this then rewatched their backstory and realized I basically just wrote supplementary scenes to what we’re shown, lol. But honestly, I love imagining those kind of in-between moments and this sort of just wrote itself, so I figured I’d share it here. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> dedicated to my amazing partner

Hashirama sinks his toes into the damp soil of the river bank. Overhead the sky is turning orange, reminding him that soon he will need to return home. A shiver runs down his spine when he thinks about it. Home: a place where every day he feels the space grow colder and emptier. He curls his toes into the mud as memories flood his mind... of his clan, friends, and brothers, bloodied, in pain, and worst, dyi—

The crunch of gravel from behind stirs him from his thoughts. He tenses at the disturbance and readies himself to fight. Before he can move, deep blue flashes in his periphery and a rock dances its way over the surface of the river to the other side. Madara stands beside him, looking upon the water with a confident, satisfied expression.

“Did you see how gracefully that stone glided? I just keep getting better and better,” he says with a grin.

Hashirama remains seated and gazes up at his friend. The tangerine glow makes Madara look like a painting, a peaceful vision too gentle to be from this violent world. The adrenaline still coursing through his veins amplifies the warmth that takes root in his chest whenever they are together.

He smiles, “It’s good to see you, Madara. For a second there, I was worried you were an enemy.”

“Well, aren’t I? I am your rival, after all,” Madara glances at him smirking. He sits down beside Hashirama and they observe the golden water.

“My rival, yes. But never my enemy. You’re a precious friend to me.”

“Hm, but what about that saying ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’? Maybe our friendship is simply a front.”

“Why would you say that, Madara?”

“Because, Hashirama, that’s the kind of world this is. People deceive each other for their own benefit.”

“But that’s not how it is with us.”

“How do you know?”

Hashirama turns his head to face Madara. “Because I know what kind of person you are. You share my dream for a world free from war and hate,” he pauses and a smile creeps into the corners of his mouth. “Besides you’re honest, almost to a fault. You revealed your greatest weakness the first time we met.”

“HASHIRAMA!” Madara yells and turns toward him, brows furrowed and cheeks dusted pink. A stifled laugh threatens to betray his show of anger.

“Hey, you volunteered the information,” Hashirama chuckles and shrugs before meeting his friend’s gaze. “But I meant what I said before. I know I can trust you, Madara.”

Madara’s expression becomes solemn and he shifts to look at the sky. The cocktail of colors is giving way to black and points of light are appearing in the darkness.

“You’re naïve, Hashirama. You should never allow yourself to fall into a false sense of security. It’s impossible to know what’s in another person’s heart.” Madara closes his eyes but keeps his face turned toward the sky.

Hashirama studies his friend’s visage as he reflects on his words. He heard resignation and sorrow in them. The warmth in his chest begins to ache. ‘Isn’t this how it feels to see someone else’s guts?’ he wonders. He clutches at the pain without realizing it. His toes dig further into the mud.

“I’ll never give up on our dream, Madara. I want to protect what’s precious to me. I know I have to become strong, so I will. And if we work together, I can’t help but feel we’ll be unstoppable.”

Madara finally looks at him again. “Do you really believe that?”

“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t,” he replies earnestly.

Hashirama can barely make out the fragile upturn of his friend’s lips. He stands and outstretches his hand to Madara. The light from the moon creates a silver glow around Hashirama’s silhouette. Madara’s face breaks into a grin as he allows himself to be helped up.

“You’re really something else, Hashirama.”

“So you still believe in our dream, don’t you?” he asks, almost imperceptibly squeezing the other boy’s hand in his own.

Madara shrugs casually. “You’re so crazy it just might work. Besides, you need someone with sense to watch your back.”

“Hmph, you could just say yes, Madara. No need to act so cold with me,” Hashirama pouts and finally returns his hand to his side. He regrets losing the contact when the nighttime air chills his fingers.

Madara bursts into laughter and his eyes twinkle with mirth and moonlight. “You really are such a fool,” he manages to reply while he catches his breath. “Anyway, shall we spar?”

Hashirama huffs in irritation as he steps towards the water to rinse the mud from his feet. The warmth in his chest flared at Madara’s laughter and he feels it heating his face. “Not this time, I really need toget back... You know, sometimes I can’t for the life of me figure out what you’re thinking, Madara.”

“Yet you can know what’s in my heart?” Madara teases.

Hashirama shoots him a harmless glare over his shoulder, muttering, “At least I can still function when someone’s standing behind me.”

That earns him a wry look from his friend. He steps out of the river and puts on his shoes. He knows he should have been home before nightfall, but Madara’s unexpected arrival had compelled him to stay just a little later than he knows is permitted. He would miss Madara’s warmth when he returned home. Still, he knows he can only postpone the inevitable for so long.

“Well, I better get going... maybe just one exchange before I leave?”

“You came prepared?” Madara quirks his brow.

“Of course,” says Hashirama with a grin as he reaches for the smooth stone he had hidden in his clothes.

“Let’s make it a good one,” Madara smiles, one hand on his hip, the other brandishing his own flat stone. Hashirama makes his way across the river to take his position opposite Madara, who watches the moonlight on the water ripple with every step.

They each relax into their throwing stances and lock eyes. Wordlessly, their stones fly out of their hands at the same moment. With immense speed and little splashing, the boys’ stones soar to the opposite banks of the river, coming to rest in the other’s palm. Hashirama tightens his grip on the rock and smiles so broadly Madara could probably see all his teeth even from a distance.

“We’ll meet again soon?” he calls to him. Madara tries to calmly nod in affirmation, beaming despite himself.

Hashirama waves and begins to turn away. He stops and hesitates for a moment, facing his friend once more. In a quieter voice, though still loud enough to be heard over the water’s flow, he adds “I’m grateful for you, Madara. Meeting you was like a blessing.”

With that, he dashes away from the river. Madara’s eyes follow Hashirama’s form until it disappears into the foliage moments later. Madara shakes his head and looks toward the moon. Sounds of the forest and rushing water fade as his pulse thuds loudly. He places his hand over his pounding heart and takes a deep breath in an attempt to compose himself. He runs home feeling as light as a moonbeam.

————————————————

Hashirama rests is head in his hand and looks down at Madara asleep beside him. He is overwhelmed with joy as he remembers their day—a morning walk, an afternoon meeting on a construction project, followed by an evening spent on the cliff overlooking Konoha. It was so ordinary but perhaps that is precisely why it is so meaningful. Days are peaceful in their Village Hidden in the Leaf. The end of a warring era, as well as the formation of alliances between clans and nations, gives him hope that their dream is really coming true.

He feels all the more elated to have his best friend by his side, building their dream together. Finally, the Senju and Uchiha no longer have to suffer by each other’s hands. All the memories from years spent apart hurt less and less every night he falls asleep next to Madara knowing he will wake up beside him in the morning.

He smiles at the unguarded man in front of him. The moonlight falling across the pillows illuminates the pale skin framed by inky black locks. Hashirama gently brushes some hair out of his lover’s face. He lays his head on the pillow, gazing at Madara, the soft smile still resting on his features, and drapes his arm over the Uchiha’s waist, snuggling closer. He closes his eyes and soaks in all the warmth that has come to fruition through their togetherness.

“I swear, you were sent by the gods,” he breathes before allowing sleep to come. He dreams about them in their youth, distorting the moonlight on the river, skipping stones until the break of dawn.

————————————————

Madara looks over his shoulder at the village gate. He is filled with bitterness and anger, but mostly pain. Hashirama’s pleading had been harder to endure than he expected. It is difficult to deny his friend’s wishes when he too so badly desires their dream. How deeply he cherishes the heavenly days and nights alone with Hashirama; time spent with the only person that has ever known him so intimately and honestly. But he knows he cannot stay, and that, in spite of Hashirama’s personal feelings, he is not trusted by Tobirama, the majority of the village, or even his own clan. He knows this dream they once shared no longer belongs to him—‘If it ever did at all,’ he scoffs to himself. Madara narrows his eyes.

“I’ll cling to my new dream and you’ll see, Hashirama. I’ll fix this world...” He pulls his glare away from the gate and looks to the moon sliding down into the horizon. “And when I do, you and I will be together again.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! ♡
> 
> Also, the title is a reference to “Let’s Dance” by David Bowie.


End file.
